Corn-husker.



N0. 677.l02. Patented lune 25, NW. M. A. PETERSON.

CORN HUSKER.

\Application filed Mar. 11, 1901.

1N0 Model.)

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UNITED STATES MARTIN A. PETERSON,

PATENT ()EFIGE.

OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

CORN-HUSKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 677,102, dated June 25, 1901.

Application filed March 11, 1901. Serial No- 50,758. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN A. PETERSON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Sioux City, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hand Corn-Huskers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in hand devices for husking corn, the object being to provide a mitt or hand-covering, with a thumb-stall, to which is attached a husking-pin, the thumbstall being of rigid material, jointed and adj ustably connected to the hand portion of the mitt, said husking-pin being connected to the thumb-stall, so as to turn automatically thereon to separate the husked ear from the stalk, as will be hereinafter set forth, the invention also providing a section of finger-covering which is provided with prongs to engage the husks and remove the silk from the ear, said part having means for attaching it to the mitt portion.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View showing my improvement applied. Fig. 2 is a view showing the two parts applied, said view illustrating the manner of connecting the sections over the back of the hand. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View on the line 5 5.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a hand-covering which is made up of any suitable material and in shape simulates a mitt, inasmuch as it only covers a portion of the hand, the same when worn inclosing the wrist, palm, and back of the hand, terminating at a point slightly in advance of the thumb and extending across the back of the hand at a point slightly to one side of the knuckles. The structure A is provided with an opening for the passage of the thumb. The part A is open at the back and has straps a and huekles a, or their equivalents, for holding said part in place. The body portion of the mitt may be made up of three parts or sections A, A and A the part A being practically an extension of the part A To the sections A and A to be positioned opposite the first phalangeal bone of the thumb, I secure a band I) of stifi leather, to the under side of which is secured a segmental piece or shield 12, said part being attached to the sections A and A lines of stitching b Beyond the shield 19, to extend around the inner side of the thumb in opposite directions, the end portions of the sections A A are reduced and provided with straps a? a the end portion of the strap 0& having a loop through which may be passed a strap a", which is secured at one end to the section A, the other end being adapted to be made fast to a buckle a after the strap has been passed through the loop. The strap or end a is passed first under the strap a and then through suitable slits in the section A adjacent to the thumb-opening and then over the back portion of the mitt. The construction shown, with the straps a a and their buckles or securing means, provides an adj ustable thumb-opening, which is a desirable feature in this device, especially as the thumbstall which carries the husking-pin is adjustable with respect to the mitt.

The thumb-stall B is made up of two metallic tubular sections B B which are pivotally connected together, so as to be capable of a rocking motion one upon the other, the section B being adapted to overlie the second phalangeal bone of the thumb and the outer section B the end of the thumb. The inner section B of the thumb-stall B has rigidly attached thereto fiat bars 0, of resilient metal, to which are hinged spring-actuated clasps c, which bear against the strip 1) and shield 1) between the stitches, so as to provide means whereby the thumb-stall B, by moving the bars 0 beneath the strip 1) and shield b, may be adjusted upon the mitt. The range of adj ustability of the thumb-stall is about equal to the length of the clasps.

To the end section of the thumb-stall I attach a husking-pin D, the point of which projects slightly to one side the same, having a cutting edge, and said pin is carried by a band cl, which is rotatably mounted on the section 13*. The band d lies partially within a circumferential recess in the end section, and the ends of said band are bent outward adjacent to the thumb-opening, by parallel and are clamped together by a suitable belt, which may abut against a stop I), which partially overlies the band and limits the movement of the husking-pin in one direction. To the section B is secured a spring-support 61 to the outer end of which is secured a rubber band (1 which is also connected to the outwardly-projecting end (I of the band d, said rubber band or spring normally holding the ring against the stop, and when so held the husking-pin will project toward the base of the first finger, and when the spring is extended the point of the husking-pin will project toward the palm of the hand. It will thus be seen that the husking-pin is rotatably mounted upon the thumb-stall.

In connection With the mitt and its thumbstall I use a shield or covering E for the tingers and that portion of the hand which is not ineased by the mitt. The shield E has on its inner side plates 6 e,-with prongs or hooks e, the plates being preferably riveted to diagonal straps E E the strap E having an elastic section 6 and beyond the same an end which is adapted to be made fast to a buckle on the back of the mitt. The elastic section exerts a pressure which has a tendency to draw upon the fingers to open the hand.

To the back of the section E there is attached a buckle a with which the strap a may be placed in engagement, and straps 6 c, with buckles at their ends, are passed through slits in the section E and from thence through loops on the inner side of the section, so that the parts of the straps which are within the section E may be passed about the several fingers.

In use the mitt and finger-covering are secured upon the left hand, the straps a a are adjusted, and the thumb-stall is moved upon the shield portion of the mitt to bring the joint in said thumb-stall in such position that the pivots which connect the tubular sections will be on a line with the last joint of the thumb. The ear of corn which is on the stalk is grasped by the husking device,whieh is attached to the left hand, and when the same is partially closed the ear of corn is drawn through the husking device with a rotary movement. The husking-pin will loosen the husk from the ear and uncover the grain, so that the hooks may engage the finer particles of the husk and the silk, separating them from the ear, and in operation should the husking-pin engage the grain or kernels it will move out of contact therewith, turning upon the section by which it is carried. When the husks have been loosened and the husking-pin reaches the end of the cob or its stalk, the ear of corn is broken from the stalk.

'During the separation of the husks from the so positioned that the pivoted sections of the thumb-stall are at an obtuse angle to each other, the point will be so positioned that its curved end will cut the stalk with the least manual effort and will return to its initial position automatically. The spring-section of the strap E has a tendency to throw the hand open, relieving muscular strain. incident to the effort of holding the hand open when the thumb is closed. lVith this device the right hand is left entirely free, and the same movement which loosens the husks from the cob also separates the silk therefrom, a subsequent movement having the effect of severing the stalk and husk from the ear.

Obviously the mitt and finger sections may be made as one part, or other fastening means than those illustrated may be used, and the flexible parts may be of leather, with alining, or of fabric.

Numerous minor changes may be made as to the construction of the parts without departing from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure-by Letters Patent, is

1. In a hand corn-husking device, a thumbstall having a husking-pin rotatably mounted thereon.

2. In a hand corn-husking device, a mitt having secured thereto a jointed thumb-stall one of the sections thereof carrying a rotatable husking-pin.

3. In a corn-husking device, a mitt having an adjustable thumb-opening, of a thumbstall to which a rotatable husking-pin is attached, said thumb-stall being adjustably connected to the mitt, substantially as shown.

4. In a hand husking device, a mitt or hand covering, a tubular thumb-stall made up of metallic sections attached to the mitt the outer section of the thumb-stall having a rotatable husking-pin mounted thereon, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a corn-husking device, a hand-covering, a shield attached thereto, a thumb-stall made up of two tubular sections pivotally connected one to the other, a husking-pin rotatably attached to one of the tubular sections, and means for adjustably connecting the thumb-stall to the shield.

6. In a corn-husking device, a hand-covering having a jointed thumb-stall attached thereto, the outer section of the thumb-stall having rotatably mounted thereon a band, a husking-pin rigidly attached to the band and a spring connected to the thumb-stall and to the band for moving the same against a stop, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a corn-husking device the combination with a mitt or hand-covering having a thumb-stall to which is attached a rotatable husking-pin, of a hand-covering adapted to be placed over that part of the hand which is not covered by the mitt, hooks attached to the outer member of the hand-coverin g and means for connecting the two parts of the adapted to be passed over the hand to engage hand-covering to each other, substantially as with the buckle on the mitt, for the purpose shown. set forth.

8. In a corn-husking device, the combina- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I 5 5 tion With a mitt or hand-covering having a my hand in the presence of two subscribing thumb-stall with a husking-pin of a covering witnesses. adapted to be placed over that portion of the T hand which is not covered by the mitt, a MARTIL PETERSON buckle attached to the back of the mitt and Witnesses: IO a strap having, an elastic section secured to BEN JENSEN,

the outer portion of the hand-covering and ROBERT E. SKINNER, 

